In the taking of medical x-rays, it is common to utilize a radiopaque marker on a portion of the patient's body being examined. One simple technique is to place the radiopaque marker on the patient's nipple when the x-ray is taken and the resulting mark on the x-ray film provides a point of reference from which actual measurements can be made to other parts of the body for surgical or other purposes. Other more complicated devices involving grids of radiopaque material carried by plastic sheets or lattice works of radiopaque rods have also been used in an effort to locate precisely the area of the body which is under investigation. Unquestionably, some of these devices have achieved some acceptance as aids in the preparation for specific surgical procedures. However, the available devices have tended to be expensive, complicated, and difficult to use. By way of example, one of the devices on the market involves a contoured carrier which is strapped to the patient's body and on which a movable radiopaque indicator slides. Thumb-screws are provided to lock the indicator in any desired position prior to the taking of the x-ray.
Another prior art device involves the placement of radiosensitive film under the patient's body and applying a carrier sheet on which grid lines of radiopaque material are disposed over a portion of the body. When the film is exposed to radiation passing through the carrier sheet and the patient's body, an image is developed in which the grid lines appear. Openings are provided in the device to permit the radiologist to make visible markings on the patient's body as points of reference. Both of the systems described are expensive, unwieldy and somewhat imprecise. Moreover, they are useful only for a few limited applications.
In addition, for hygienic reasons, it is important that such devices be sterile when applied to a patient's skin, be reliably adherable to the patient's skin, yet removable without leaving traces of adhesive or irritating the patient's skin, and be usable only one time on a patient.